Opinion

Israel shows its bloodlust right to the bitter end - The Irish News view

People gather at the Palestine Murals on the Falls Road following the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza. PICTURE: MAL MCCANN
People gather at the Palestine Murals on the Falls Road following the announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza. PICTURE: MAL MCCANN

THE world will be holding its breath until the ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Hamas, which is intended to end the catastrophic conflict in Gaza, is implemented as scheduled on Sunday.

There can only be enormous relief that the complex talks have finally produced a breakthrough, but there are still alarming indications that it could all be derailed at the eleventh hour.

It is appalling that Israel continued to target Gaza during airstrikes which killed over 80 people early yesterday, in entirely unwarranted operations which were a breach of the spirit if not the letter of the planned ceasefire.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Hamas of making last-minute demands and going back on agreements, a claim which was firmly rejected by Hamas but illustrated the massive tensions which exist on all sides.

The deal involves stopping all aspects of the 15-month war in Gaza, completing an exchange of hostages and prisoners, withdrawing Israeli troops and returning displaced Palestinians.

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All these provisions are essential, but it is deeply alarming that elements in the Israeli cabinet who are even more hardline than Netanyahu want to see the blueprint abandoned and the violence escalated.

The latest crisis in the Middle East did not start on the dark day of October 7, 2023 when Hamas launched its totally unjustified offensive against Israel, killing an estimated 1,200 people and taking 250 hostages back to Gaza, but further dreadful events then unfolded swiftly.

Israel’s response was beyond disproportionate, using its massive military capability to devastate Gaza with a death toll of up to 50,000 which includes a shockingly high level of women and children.

The carnage should have been stopped at a much earlier stage, but all the indications were that Israel was determined to pursue what amounted to a campaign of genocide against the Palestinians.

Only international pressure could have forced a change of approach, and, although Ireland is a small nation, it was completely appropriate that it was one of the strongest voices in demanding a cessation of hostilities.

The petulant decision by Israel to close its embassy in Dublin and withdraw its ambassador in December demonstrated that a point had been made, with other EU countries increasingly expressing the same views as Ireland.

While it took an undue period of time for the outgoing US president Joe Biden and his successor Donald Trump to decisively use their own influence, Washington’s interventions have eventually proved crucial.

It would be premature to predict that the ceasefire will remain in place on a long-term basis, but the opportunity to replace bloodshed with diplomacy has at last been created.